Alexander jay wtjrts



(No Mod-e1.)

A. J. WURTS. CIRCUIT BRBAKER.

No. 570,415. Patented 001;. 27, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER JAY lVURTS, OE PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGN OR TO THE VESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF

SAME PLACE.

CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,415, dated October 27, 1896.

Serial No. 561,119. (Nomodel To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER JAY lVURTS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Circuit-Breakers, (Case No. 663,) of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to automatic circuitbreakers, and has particular reference to devices of this characterwhich are employed in connection with multiphase circuits, though not limited to such use.

The object of the invention is to provide an automatic circuit-breaker which shall open either upon open circuit or overload, and which when opened by reason of an overload is adapted to be operated only after a suitable predetermined interval of time, it being desirable that all of the above-named characteristics should be present in automatic circuit-breakers used in connection with multiphase circuits.

It is obvious without explanation that every circuit supplying current to translating` de- Vices should be provided with means for interrupting it in case an overload should occur, and it will be readily understood that if such overload is only momentary it may not be desirable to have the circuit opened. Hence the desirability of a ti me element which shall insure the lapse of a suitable interval before the interruption of the circuit takes place. It is also important that the circuitbreaker should be actuated in the event of an accidental interruption of the circuit from any cause, for the reason that it is not desirable that the circuit after having once been opened should be again closed on a dead and loaded motor or motors.

In the accompanying` drawings, Figure lis a view, partially in section and partially in side elevation, of a circuitbreaker constructed in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 is a front elevation ot' the same. Fig. 3 is a diagram of the circuits through the device. Fig. 4 shows a modiiied arrangement of circuits in connection with a longitudinal sectional View of the time-element circuit-closin g device. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing a still further modification ot' circuits.

Reference being now had to the drawings in detail, 1 is the insulating slab or base, on which the operative parts of the apparatus are mounted, and 2 is the movable contactarm, pivoted at its lower end to a block This block 3 is bolted to the base 1 and is provided with a recess in which iits a pin l, provided with a collar between which and the end of the recess is placed a coiled spring 5. r1`he upper end of the pin 4E impinges against a roller G, mounted in an extension 7 of the arm 2, projecting beyond its pivot. The arm 2 is provided at its upper end with with the usual contact devices S, which engage with the stationary contacts 9, mounted upon the base 1. Projecting slightly beyond the end of the movable contact-arm is a catch 10, with which engages a roller 11, mounted upon the end of a latch 12, which has the form of a bell-crank lever, this latch being pivoted at its middle portion to a suitable projection on the base 1. Pivoted also to the base 1, or a suitable projection thereon, is an armature 13, normally extending horizontally outward from this pivoted end and supported in that position by the magnet.

The armature is provided at its outer free end with an adjustable weight or weights 14, in the present instance shown as a screw provided with nuts, which may be moved inward or outward thereon, and thus made to serve as variable weights. The armature 13 is also provided at its under side with a lug l5, in which is mounted a screw 1G in such position as to come into contact with the upper end of the latch 12 when the armature swings downward under the action of gravity, this screw 1G being adjustable in order to regulate the position of its point with reference to the end of the latch 12, with which it engages.

Supported by a suitable bracket or plate 17, adjustably mounted upon the base l, is an electromagnet 18, having the usual laminated core 19. Mounted upon the base l is a receptacle 20, formed of conducting material, preferably iron, and having a bulb 2l of considerable capacity at its bottom and a IOO vertical chamber 2. of small diameter extending upward therefrom. This chamber is partially lilled with a liquid which has a high degree of expansion when heated, mercury being preferred for this purpose. One of the stationary contacts ot' the circuit-breaker is connected to the lower end oi this receptacle by means of a conductor 23, and the magnetcoil is connected to the upper end of the receptacle by the conductor 2l. A contact device 25 projects into the upper end ot" the receptacle 2O and is insulated therefrom. This contact device is connected to the main circuit-conductor 2li by a conductor 27, as shown in Fig. 2.

Then the current through the main circuit, the magnet, and the device 2O increases to such an extent as to heat and expand the mercury in the latter, it will rise in the chaunel 22 and carry the metal ball 2S into engagement with the contact 25, and thus complete the circuit around the magnet. The magnet being thus short-circuited, the armature 13 will swing into contact with the latch l2 and move it out of engagement with the catch lO.

It is obvious that the armature will also drop, as above indicated, if the main circuit is accidentally interrupted from any cause.

In Figs. 4t and 5 l have shown a inodiiication suitable for alternating-current circuits, a secondary coil 20 being provided lor the magnet 5, the circuit through which is closed by means ot the liquid, its containing vessel, and the supplemental contacts. In Fig. 5 two supplemental stationary contacts SO are provided in lieu of the single contact 25. lith this arrangement of contacts it is obvious that any liquid may be employed which is suliiciently eXpansible under the influence of heat, since the circuit is closed entirely through the ball 2S.

It will be readily understood from the illustration and the foregoing description that an excessive current in the main circuit, in which are included the coil 1S, the receptacle 20, and the mercury and movable contact 2S therein, will generate sufficient heat to eX- pand the mercury and close the secondary circuit through the coil 29, which will act in opposition to the coil 18, and thus render the magnet as a whole inactive, the result being the same as if a single 1n agnet-coil were employed and a short circuit were established around it by means of the mercury and its inclosing vessel.

It will also be understood that a device which will operate to close a short circuit or a secondary circuit having a different construction from that shown maybe employed, and I do not wish to limit my invention in this particular. The ball 2S may also be dispensed with, if desired, but l regard it as useful in order to prevent oxidation of the mercury by the arc which may form when the circuit is broken at this point.

I claim as my invention l.. In an automatic circuit-breaker, a controlling-magnet having a coil in the circuit to be interrupted, in con'ibination with. circuitclosing means for rendering said magnet inactive, said circuit-closing means being independent o'f said magnet and located in and forming a part of the main circuit, wherebl,7 an excessive current in said circuit serves to actuate said means.

2. In an automatic circuit-breaker, a controlling-magnet having a main coil permanently included in the circuit to be interrupted and a secondary coil in inductive rclation to said main coil and in a normally open circuit, in combination with means vfor automatically closing said secondary circuit, said means being actuated by excessive current in the main circuit.

3. In an automatic circuit-breaker, a con.- trolling-magnet having a main coil included in the circuit to be interrupted and a secondary coil in inductive relation to said main coil and included in a normally open circuit, in combination with means for closing said secondary circuit included in the main circuit and operating automaticallya predetermined interval after the occurence of an excessive current in the main circuit.

a. ln a circuit-breaker, stationary and inevable contacts, a latch engaging said movable contact and means for moving the latter when the latch is withdrawn, in combination with a gravity-actuated armature for withdrawing said latch, an electromagnet normally supporting said armature and means for rendering the magnet inactive when the current in the main circuit becomes excessive.

5. The combination with an automaticallyopening switch and a latch therefor, of an armature for withdrawing said latch, an electromagnet normally supportin g said arm aturc and circuit-closing means energized by an excessive current in the circuit to render the magnet inactive, whereby the armature is released to ei't'ect the withdrawal of the latch.

G. In an automatic circuit-breaker, the combination with the main contacts, a latch and a latch-releasing device, of an electromagnet for holding the releasing device in its inactive position when the main circuit is carrying a normal current, and circuit closing means actuated by an excessive current in said circuit to render said magnet inactive, whereby the releasing device is put in motion to effect the withdrawal of the latch.

7. An automatic circuit-elosin g device comprising a receptacle formed of conducting material and a body of mercury therein, said receptacle and mercury forming part of an electric circuit, a stationary contact projecting into and insulated from said receptacle, the expansion of the mercury by the heat generated by an abnormal current passing through it and its receptacle serving to close the circuit between the same andthe stationary contact.

S. A circuit-closing device comprising a re- IOO IIO

ceptacle provided with a stationary contact at or near the upper end thereof, a body of liquid partially iilling said receptacle and a movable contact device in said receptacle which is moved into engagement with said stationary contact when an abnormally-h eavy current iiows through the main circuit.

9. A circuit-closing device comprising a metal tube connected in an electric circuit, a body of eXpansible liquid partially filling said receptacle, a stationary contact proj ectiiig into said receptacle at or near the top thereof, and a contact device movable into engagement with said stationary contact by the expansion of said liquid.

l0. In an automatic circuit-breaker, the combination with the main circuit separable contacts, a latch and an armature for withdrawing the same, of an electromagnet for holding the armature out of engagement with the latch when the circuit is carrying a normal current, and means operating at a predetermined interval after the occurrence of an abnormally-heavy current in the circuit to render the magnet inactive.

1l. In an automatic circuit-breaker, the combination with stationary and movable contacts, and a latch for normally retaining the latter in engagement With the former, of an electromagnet, a latch-Withdrawin g armature supported by said magnet in an invariable fixed position while a normal current is flowing in the main circuit and means actuated by an excessive current to effect the release o the armature, whereby its movement in one direction away from the magnet and into engagement with the latch is insured, both when the current in the main circuit becomes excessive and when it fails.

12. In an automatic circuit-breaker, the combination with stationary and movable contacts, and a latch for fastening the latter in closed position, of an electromagnet, a latch-withdrawing armature supported by said magnet in an invariable, fixed position while a normal current is flowing in the main circuit, and means actuated by an excessive current to eiect the release of the armature, said armature being movable away from the magnet and into engagement with the latch by gravity when released either by the failure of the current in the main circuit oi' by reason of an excessive main current, and means for actuating the movable contact device when the latch is withdrawn.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my naine this 29th day of August, A. D. 1895.

ALEXANDER JAY VURTS.

Witnesses:

JNo. A. SCHIMPF, H. C. TENER. 

